There are not many surprises regarding the Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback room. Jimmy Garoppolo was signed to back up Matthew Stafford after Carson Wentz moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs, Stetson Bennett is back with the team after a year-long sabbatical and Stafford returns for his 16th NFL season.
Stafford, the gunslinger, is looking for his first 4,000-yard passing season since his Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2021. It would be the 10th in his career after coming up just 35 yards short last season. Stafford is also two wins away from the 100-win mark. He is also on pace to break the 5,000 career completions and 60,000 passing yards mark.
Garoppolo finds his way to Los Angeles after stops with New England, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. This is Garoppolo’s 11th season in the NFL and the sixth in which he’ll serve in a backup role. Garoppolo’s career record is 14-3 when starting the season as a backup. Garoppolo is also 4-2 in the playoffs with two NFC championship game appearances. He starts the season by serving a two-game suspension, so he’s not officially on the 53-man roster.
Bennett rounds out the room as the team’s emergency quarterback. He had five interceptions in two games played this preseason but he also led the team on two game-winning drives filled with NFL-level throws. He’s raw but he’s displayed an ability to perform in pressure situations.
The reality of the situation is that the team will go as far as Stafford will take it. Though Garoppolo has a track record of performing well when brought in as a backup, his performance as a member of the Raiders last season casts some doubt on his effectiveness. But in the same breath, his performances have been directly correlated to the effectiveness of the run game.
When a Jimmy G offense is able to run the ball, he’s a brilliant passer. Regardless, let’s hope it never comes to the point of finding out.